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In Vivo Feasibility Study: Evaluating Autonomous Data-Driven Robotic Needle Trajectory Correction in MRI-Guided
Mariana C Bernardes1, Pedro Moreira1, Dimitri Lezcano2
1Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
|October 7, 2024
Summary
This study introduces autonomous robotic needle steering for prostate cancer biopsies, improving MRI-guided accuracy. The novel approach achieved a mean target error of 2.2 mm in animal studies, enhancing diagnostic and treatment precision.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology
- Robotics in Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate needle placement is critical for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
- MRI-guided transperineal needle biopsies present significant targeting challenges.
- Existing methods often require multiple insertions, increasing patient discomfort and procedure time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a parameter-agnostic, autonomous robotic needle steering system for MRI-guided prostate cancer biopsies.
- To improve targeting accuracy and reduce needle reinsertions during transperineal procedures.
- To assess the system's performance and MRI compatibility in an *in vivo* animal model.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a data-driven, closed-loop strategy for radial displacement and FBG-based shape sensing.
- Development of an autonomous needle steering system integrated with MRI guidance.
- Conducting a prostate cancer mock biopsy procedure in an animal study to emulate clinical complexity.
Main Results:
- The robotic needle steering system demonstrated a significant improvement in targeting accuracy (p<0.05).
- Mean target error was reduced to 2.2 ± 1.9 mm on first insertion attempts.
- The system achieved high accuracy without the need for needle reinsertions, indicating enhanced precision and efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The developed autonomous robotic needle steering system significantly enhances targeting accuracy for MRI-guided prostate cancer biopsies.
- This study presents the first *in vivo* evaluation of robotic needle steering with FBG-sensor feedback, validating its clinical potential.
- The findings represent a crucial advancement towards the clinical translation of robotic-assisted, image-guided interventions for prostate cancer management.
